Unloading apparatus



Nov. 28, 1939*." YARWOOD UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 4, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 grime/H M Lam c540 T Vain/00.0

Nov. 28, 1939. L. YARWOOD [momma APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 4, 1937 I I I||l lllrllllftrllllh.

.ZH/I/CALOT m n/00p L. YARWOOD UNLOADING APPARATUS Nov. 28, 1939.

Filed Oct. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE UNLOADING APPARATUS Lancelot Yarwood, SyracuseQN. Y., assignor to Continental Can CompanyfInc New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationOctober 4, 1937, Serial No. 167,322

6 Claims.

' The invention relates generally to carton han- -,dling and unloading apparatus and has for an object to provide a novel stand onto which cartons containing a plurality of empty cans arranged in rows are supported, means for. clamping the carton on the stand, and means for simultaneously removing from the carton a plurality of the cans contained therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel can lifting frame including a plurality of cooperating, normally separated can gripping elements depending from the frame and simultaneously insertable into the open upper ends of a plurality of cans, and means operable by a person lifting the frame to move the elements together for gripping and liftingsaid cans. 1 Another object of the invention is, to provide novel can gripping elements constructed and arranged to emciently grip interior portions of the empty cans without danger of marring the gripped surfaces.

With the above and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

'In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the stand and a carton clamped thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the 1 can lifting frame.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the lifting frame shown in Figure 2.

Figured is a vertical cross section taken on the line 44 on Figure 3.

In the drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures,

A' designates the carton clamping or holding stand, B a carton, C the cans contained in the carton, and D the lifting frame by which the cans may be conveniently removed from the carton while it is clamped upon the stand in the manner shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The stand A includes base angles 5 and corner uprights 6 joined at their upper ends by end angles 1 and front and rear angles 8 and by an abutment angle 9 mounted at the rear of the stand. A cross shaft I is rockably mounted in the end angles 1, in parallel relation to the abutment angle9, and carries a crank arm II at each end thereof. Between the free ends of the crank arms II a clamping roller I2 is mounted, and as the shaft I0 is rocked about its axis the roller I2 is pressed against or moved away from a carton supported on the stand for clamping or releasing'said carton. Rocking movement is imparted to the shaft l0 through the medium of a crank arm l3 secured on said shaft, a link arm I4 and a treadle member I5. Whenever the treadle is depressed, as shown in Figure l of the drawings, a carton mounted on the stand will be clamped between the roller 12 and the abutment angle 9 so that cans can be withdrawn upwardly out of the carton without displacing the 4.10 carton from the stand.

Cartons may be placed on the stand manually, or the stand A may be placed in a conveyor line (not shown) so that the cartons B will be fed mechanically onto the stand, clamped thereon 15 during a rest interval of the conveyor so that the cans can be removed therefrom, and then mechanically fed off and away from the stand.

The cans C'are arranged in rows and tiers in the cartons B. It will be observed by refer- '20 ence to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, that there are twelve cans in each of the two upper and lower tiers, and that each tier is composed of three longitudinal rows of four cans each or four transverse rows of three cans each.

The lifting frame E includes an open rectangular base structure composed of a pair of longitudinal straps l6 joined at their ends by a pair of transverse straps l1 and intermediately by a pair of intermediate strap members l8. An, inverted V-shaped bail or handle member If! is secured to each end of the base structure and these elements afford convenient hand holds by which the lifting frame can be'manipulated.

Four rock shafts 20 are supported 1ongitudinally in the base frame in parallel spaced relation as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. Cooperating crank members 2I-2| are carried by an adjacent pair of the shafts 28 at one end of the frame, and a similar pair of crank members 22 are carried by the remaining pair of shafts 20 'at the opposite end of the frame. Each set of crank members 2| and 22 is connected by a lost motion or pin and slot connection 23 to the lower end to a twisted strap link 24 which is apertured-, at its upper end as at 25 to receive an actuator lever or arm 26. Each of the arms 26 is pivoted at 21 to one handle member I9, and cotter pins 28 inserted through suitable apertures formed in the respective lever 26 at opposite sides of the connected link 24 serve to hold said link against displacement along the lever. A spring 26 connected between each lever 26 and an adjacent portion of the respective longitudinal strap member l6 serves to hold the connected lever in the normal, lowered position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. I

Each of the crank members 2! and 22 is in the nature of an offset lateral extension from a grip lever 36. In the present disclosure sixteen grip levers are shown, one thereof being secured, as at 3!, upon each of the four shafts 20 at each of the four transverse members il, lll8, 18 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. A shaft extension 32 depends from each lever 31 and upon each shaft, 32 a grip disk or roller 33 is mounted. These rollers preferably are made of rubber or similar soft material capable of efficiently gripping interior surfaces of cans without marring the same. If desired, the rollers may be ribbed as illustrated to facilitate intimate contact with and efficient gripping of the cans.

It will be observed by reference to Figure 3 that the crank members 2! or 22 of a given set are oppositely ofiset so as to minimize space consumption and afford a space between them in which to receive the lower ends of the links 24. It will be noted also that the transverse frame members if, li--i8, is are so spaced that they effect a positioning of the transverse rows of grip rollers 33 in centered relation with respect to transverse rows of cans.

When a carton of cans is placed on the stand A, in the position shown in Figure l of the drawings, an operator depresses the treadle l5 causing the roller l2 to move against the carton and clamp it against the abutment angle 9. With the carton thus clamped, the lifting frame D is applied to the upper tier of cans as shown in Figures l and 3. The single grip rollers 33 carried by each outermost shaft enter the outermost longitudinal rows of cans, and all of the rollers carried by the two intermediate shafts 20 enter the single intermediate longitudinal row of cans. Thus a single roller 33 enters each can of each outer longitudinal row, and two rollers 33 enter each can of the intermediate longitudinal row.

The normal or spread position of the rollers is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. In this spread condition the rollers are inserted into the open upper ends of the cans of the upper tier as shown in the said figure. By lifting the two end levers 26 the rollers are moved together in clamping relation as shown in Figure 4, gripping the twelve cans, and movement of the whole frame bodily upwardly will remove the upper tier of cans from the carton. This operation may be repeated for the removal of the lower tier of cans. The carton B, being clamped on the stand A, is held against upward movement with the respective tiers of cans.

By releasing the'holding pressure on the levers 25 all of the cans of a removed tier of cans can be released simultaneously. Should it be desired, one hand lever 2% alone can be manipulated to effect the lifting or releasing of eight instead of the whole twelve cans of a tier, that is, the intermediate and a selected one only of the outer longitudinal rows.

It is to be understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A can lifting means comprising a frame, a

plurality of rock shafts mounted in parallel spaced relation in the frame, gripper elements secured on and depending from the shafts in opposed pairs and insertable into the open ends of a plurality of cans, a grip roller formed of yieldable material carried by each element, and means for moving the elements to cause cooperating pairs of grip rollers to internally and simultaneously grip a plurality of cans.

2. A can lifting means comprising a frame, a pair of shafts rockably supported in the frame in parallel spaced relation, a row of grip levers depending from each shaft, grip disks carried by the grip levers and simultaneously insertable into the open ends of a plurality of empty cans, means for rocking the shafts to move the disks of one shaft toward the disks of the other shaft to grip cans therebetween, and means for normally holding said disks in separated relation.

3. A can lifting means comprising a frame, two pairs of shafts rockably supported in the frame in parallel spaced relation, a row of grip levers depending from each shaft, grip disks carried by the grip levers and simultaneously insertable into the open ends of a plurality of empty cans, and individually operable means for rocking each pair of shafts to move the disks of one shaft of each pair of shafts toward the disks of the companion shaft of the pair to grip cans therebetween.

i. A can lifting means comprising a frame, a pair of shafts rockably supported in the frame in parallel spaced relation, a row of grip levers depending from each shaft, grip disks carried by the grip levers and simultaneously insertable into the open ends of a plurality of empty cans, and means for rocking the shafts to move the disks of one shaft toward the disks of the other shaft to grip cans therebetween, and comprising a pair of crank members secured to the respective shafts, an actuator lever pivoted to the frame, and a link member pivotally connected to the crank members and to the actuator lever.

5. A can lifting means comprising a frame, two pairs of shafts rockably supported in the frame in parallel spaced relation, a row of grip levers depending from each shaft, grip disks carried by the grip levers and simultaneously insertable into the open ends of a plurality of empty cans, and individually operable means for rocking each pair of shafts to move the disks of one shaft of each pair of shafts toward the disks of the companion shaft of the pair to grip cans therebetween, and comprising a pair of crank members secured adjacent one end to one pair of shafts, an actuator lever pivoted to the frame, and a link member pivotally connected to the crank members and to the actuator lever, and a similar; crank member, link and actuator lever equipment at the opposite end of the remaining pair of shafts.

6. A can lifting means comprising a frame, a pair of shafts rockably supported in the frame in parallel spaced relation, a row of grip levers depending from each shaft, a gripping member of soft material carried by each grip lever, said grip levers being disposed in opposed pairs, means whereby the grip levers may be lowered into the empty cans of a carton, and means whereby said grip levers may be operated to grip between each pair two cans for lifting the same from the carton.

LANCELOT YARWOOD. 

